All The Reasons
by SeveningTree
Summary: Why their relationship is beautiful and blossoming. Snippets and stories about the sweet moments that occur between them - even breakfast on a Sunday morning. Stefan/Caroline always.
1. Sunday

Basically after 4x16, my inspiration for writing these two peaked again. I thought I'd write snippets of the beautiful relationship they have. Imho, theirs is the best relationship on the show that is still wonderful to watch and unblemished.

For this, I suggest that you listen to "Hazy" by Rosi Golan ft William Fitzsimmons. A little early morning easy-listening never hurt anyone.

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**...**

**All The Reasons**

**..**

'_Cause without you things go hazy._

**.**

It was a Sunday morning. Rays of sunlight peeked through between the curtains in her bedroom, and Caroline Forbes knew it was time to get up, but after the difficult week she'd had with her sort-of-best-friend, she couldn't stand to get up. It was too exhausting, having to get up and contemplate the situation they were all in – again, another problem, another mess. Glancing briefly at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table, she saw that it was indeed way too early for a Sunday morning. Consequently, she closed her eyes and covered her head with the cosy duvet, all too happy to sink back into oblivion again. Before she knew it, despite her thoughts running at a thousand miles per second, she managed to go back to sleep.

Just after she'd fallen back asleep, the front door of her house opened softly and in stepped Stefan Salvatore, wondering if his best friend had woken up yet. He could hear her breathing, and decided she probably still was. Damon had gone out of town, with Elena in tow, and he had no one else to talk to about his concerns. It wasn't just that she was such a good listener and that she knew practically everything about him and his life; it was that he enjoyed her company.

With her, he felt like he got his strength back, and he had hope, for whatever and whoever he needed to hope for.

It was funny for him when he considered that she really had ended up being his best friend. He could depend on her greater than he depended on his own brother. Multiple times she reminded him of Lexi, but somehow there was something about the dynamic between himself and Caroline that was different. She did resemble Lexi in the sense that they were both his confidantes, his best friends. He could lean on them for support and he knew he'd get it. But Caroline wasn't exactly the same as Lexi. Caroline was younger than him, firstly. He was originally her mentor first, not the other way around. And when he bantered with her, he sometimes questioned if they were flirting with each other – perhaps because of how much he knew he cared for her, and vice-versa. He cared for Lexi too, back then, but that felt more because he owed her so much, for teaching him and being like an older sister, and even a mother to him.

All these unusual thoughts in his head remained there as he very quietly pushed Caroline's bedroom door open and looked in. A cheeky voice in his head teased him, telling him that he was being such a creepy stalker. But he wasn't, he felt, and he told himself he was just checking up on her. She _had _been nearly killed by his ex-girlfriend, after all.

And there she was, sleeping soundly. Her head was turned slightly to the right side of the bed – the side facing him and the bedroom door. Her eyes were closed, her golden curls spread out on one section of her pillow. He found himself admiring how peaceful, how innocent and how beautiful she looked when she was sleeping.

He suppressed a smile growing on his face, and he decided that he would make breakfast and wait for her to wake up. After all, her mother the Sheriff was never home – and she did allow Stefan to watch over Caroline for her.

He let his gaze linger on her sleeping form for a few more seconds before he closed the door. He realised he was indeed smiling to himself, thinking about the first time they had properly talked at a party when Caroline threw herself at him. He had given her an outright rejection.

"_Caroline, you and me… it's never going to happen."_

Well, it never happened in the way she originally wanted it back then, but it did happen in a way that was unexpected – a blossoming, tight-knit friendship that was one of the only things in life he knew he could hold on to and not be disappointed.

He opened her refrigerator and took out all the necessary ingredients he needed to make omelettes and pancakes. It felt a bit weird for him to cook amid all the chaos that was always enveloping his life. He could leave and investigate the matter Sheriff Forbes had told him about, and come back later. But a part of him preferred if she was there with him.

An hour later, he was done, and he laid the table for both of them to eat. The mushroom-and-cheese omelettes and chocolate pancakes were in the middle, and he had poured two glasses of orange juice. Looking at the clock, he knew it was time for him to wake her up. It was a pleasant Sunday breakfast anyhow, and she would not pass this up for sleep.

He went into her bedroom and sat on her bed beside her, leaving the door open. He knew the smell of food would eventually wake her up. He nudged her elbow a little, and immediately she stirred, blinking her eyes open.

"Hmmm…" she began, but her eyes instantly saw Stefan there, and she sat up straight in her bed, eyes wide. "Stefan! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing, just watching you sleep," he replied, smiling.

She narrowed her gaze. "Was that necessary? You really gave me a fright. If it wasn't you, I'd think you were a stalker."

"Well it's good to know I'm not in that category in your book, Caroline," he responded, amused.

"Are you okay? I've never seen you this jovial since you carried me over your shoulder that day," she asked, half-concerned and half-suspicious of his behaviour.

He looked at her and let out a small sigh. "I'm just taking a time-out from being worried about everything," he answered honestly. "Would you prefer if I brood all day, all the time?"

"You _are _Stefan the brooder," she said, smiling at him, and he laughed.

"But," she continued, "It is nice seeing you be happy and free – you know, provided you don't go off the rails."

"That's why I'm happy and free around you," he said. "I know you'll keep me from going there."

Caroline chuckled, genuinely thankful that he was in her life, and that she was in his.

"Yes," she affirmed. "Yes, I will."

They glanced at each other, and in that moment, it felt electric. Their connection was intimate, so pure, and he understood then that no matter what happened, if she was here, he would be fine. As long as they had each other, no matter what they had to face, he would be okay, and she would be okay.

"But you aren't really here just to watch me sleep, are you?" she questioned, getting out of bed.

Stefan grinned. "No, I wanted to talk to you about a few things. And, I made breakfast."

She turned to face him, her face full of light and joy. "No wonder I smelled the pancakes."

"Ready to eat? My Sunday breakfasts are the best in town," he claimed.

"Ready," she said, following him in her pajamas. "And Stefan…"

He paused in his tracks, turning back to look at her.

"Thank you," she finished, giving him her best smile. "For being here."

He knew what she meant, and smiled back at her.

"Anytime."

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Okay, that's it for today. I _may _continue with more moments between them, but I may also just keep this a one-shot. Review? It'll help me gauge what to do. Please, and thank you for reading!


	2. Gala

So yes, I am planning to continue (thanks to all your lovely reviews - seriously, thank you for your encouragement and feedback and for following this story!). I plan to hopefully, maybe, build up to the point of bringing them together from friendship to romance. Thus, yes, this is becoming an actual, continuous, story.

For this one, I highly suggest "Anywhere But Here" by SafetySuit, a song which goes with pretty much any ship (also vidded along with these two on YT a few times). It is one of my favourite songs of all time, but I love the chorus and how the song reaches a climax.

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**...**

**All The Reasons**

**..**

'_Cause you are beautiful inside._

**.**

A month had passed by. His brother and ex-girlfriend still hadn't returned. He assumed that they were having fun somewhere, her humanity blissfully turned off and his carefree spirit unable to hold back. He tried calling Damon but somehow was never able to catch him at the right time. He ended up leaving several voice messages, with Damon eventually replying him via text message. All he knew was that both his dear brother and Elena were fine. Damon even assured him that Elena wasn't going "too far beyond boundaries".

He didn't have the energy to contemplate what that really meant, and he didn't ask either.

During that time, Caroline was at his side. He would see her nearly every day – on the days he didn't, it was because he needed some time alone, and she understood. They would still keep each other updated on what was going on. She would call him on those days, and make sure that he was alright. He would be in the woods, working his muscles, doing push-ups and body exercises. His phone would always be on, right on the log in front of him, because he knew she would call, and he wanted to be able to speak to her (even though he didn't necessarily feel like seeing anyone in person and talking to them), because he didn't want her to worry.

But on the days that Stefan did see her, he always felt a renewed sense of belief that everything would be fine. He knew that the promise he made Caroline agree to – to not give up on Elena – was not simply because he still cared for the girl who was the reason why he came back to Mystic Falls, but because he understood that Caroline herself would regret it if she just let something bad happen to Elena. If he didn't have Caroline's support, he might've given up on Elena himself.

That said, during the past month, they didn't really talk much about Elena at all. Stefan and Caroline mostly did what needed to be done to help Sheriff Forbes with the local town issues, to keep things at bay. Caroline could see how much he was thinking about _her_, though. She would ask him, from time to time, if he knew what they were up to. He would tell her what he knew, and that was it.

She would ask because she was curious as to how he was handling things. Surely he still loved Elena. Surely. Both he and his brother were such bound, love-stricken devotees to _her_. Of course she, too, cared about her friend – she would and she did, even if she was hugely mad about it before. But she couldn't help but wonder whether he was trying to move on or not.

All she could do, in that time, was to be his biggest support. And she felt it was enough. She made him laugh at all the right times. He made her satisfied and happy in return. She cheered him up and brought the smile back onto his face when he needed it. He gave her a sense of purpose and determination when she felt frustrated and dramatic about things.

It was one of those nights, past the one month mark, when the sky was dark but lit with speckles of shining stars, that he rung her doorbell. The first thing she saw was the look on his face – downcast and depressed. It didn't quite match the mood she had in mind when she was looking out her window at the sky.

She knew he'd probably been trying to figure out his jumbled mind of feelings for Elena once again. So she didn't say anything. He didn't either, because he knew that she knew.

She was trying to decide what she should do this time, because she knew she didn't want to spend it having a pity party with him in her house. So she spontaneously decided to be like girly, crazy Caroline one more time.

"Let's go dance," she said, her hands on her hips.

Stefan looked at her blankly. "I'm really not in the mood to dress up, Caroline."

She enthusiastically pulled him out of his chair to his feet. "No, you don't have to dress up. What you're wearing is just fine."

He looked down at his outfit. He was wearing a V-neck grey shirt, dark denim jeans and black boots. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Come on, Stefan, let's go!" she dragged him out of the house, grasping his hand tightly, the lavender cotton of her summer dress flowing along with her movement as she pulled him along.

He could try to refuse her but he knew he wouldn't succeed, no matter how hard he tried. It was Caroline, and there was no stopping her when she'd made up her mind. It was his fault for deciding to show up at her front door, and he knew it was because he would rather go along with her plans for the night, no matter how much it was out of his league.

She decided it was better to walk, and not drive. It was the kind of night for evening walks anyhow. They arrived at the town hall, where a gala was taking place. Normally all of them would be present for the event, but given Damon and Elena's absence, Stefan's broodiness and Caroline's bored attitude, none of them were expected to turn up.

"Caroline, we're not properly dressed!" Stefan pointed out, his eyes wide with seriousness as he turned to stop her before she could go any further. "Why are we here anyway? We agreed not to come!"

She made a face at him and placed her hands on either side of his shoulders. "Okay. Yes, we didn't want to come. But we need to have a little fun tonight, don't we? Besides, we've never crashed a party, ever."

"Oh, we've crashed _many _parties, Caroline," he shook his head, trying to be solemn but failing. "And this is not a party. It's a _gala_."

"I didn't know you were so insistent on correct word usage, _Stefan_," she retorted, putting emphasis on his name. "You said it yourself then. We've never crashed a _gala_."

He rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "We really don't have to do this. Not because of me."

"Who says I'm doing this because of you?" she grinned.

He let out a laugh he had been suppressing throughout the entire length of their conversation. She looked at him and knew she had won.

"Alright, fine," he said, giving up. "What are we doing now?"

"Dance, of course," she smiled, taking him by the hand once again. She noticed that this time, his fingers laced perfectly between hers and their hands were clasped together.

They stepped into the building and people instantly saw them and wondered what they were doing there in their inappropriate attire. She grabbed some hors d'oeuvres from a tray as they passed by, thanking the waiter in the sweetest voice possible. He followed her, giving polite and apologetic smiles to the surprised folk.

Eventually she reached the dance floor, placed outside at the back gardens. She took him right to the middle just as a jazz song begun playing. She decided that he wasn't in the mood to lead, so she tried teaching him the steps she learnt in dance class when she was younger.

"This is how you do it…" Caroline started, "One-two-three, one-two–"

"This is _not _how you do it," Stefan interrupted after a few more attempts of her coaching. He steadied her and they both stopped, as dance couples were moving continuously all around them.

"Then how is it done?" she asked sceptically, challenging him.

He chuckled. "_Like this_."

Granted, he was there when the jazz music age was at its finest. But she never expected him to actually know how to dance jazz. She was promptly proven wrong.

She giggled when he spun her around and gave her a brief demonstration of his hidden talents. By the end of it, despite how short it was, she was beyond impressed.

"Feeling better?" she asked, smiling at him. "That was amazing, by the way."

He smiled. "Yes, no thanks to you and your outrageous ideas," he teased.

"Oh, I don't even get some percent of credit?" she remarked, making a mock-hurt face.

He laughed. "Okay, some. Just, maybe, twenty-three percent of it."

She lightly punched his arm as they danced together, gliding along to a song from the eighties. It was their first 'official' slow dance together since the time she dragged him onto the dance floor years ago, and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt in his arms, with no amount of awkwardness at all. It was beautiful, just being there with him under the midnight sky. She didn't quite want to admit it, but she wished that the moment would last forever. She was being selfish and she knew it, but just having him there with her made her feel like she could do anything and be anything.

She looked into his eyes, and he stared back into hers, their crystal blue gazes connecting. All she could think of was how handsome he looked in that simple shirt and jeans, even in comparison to all the other men around them who were dressed in sharp, black suits.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he complimented her, snapping her out of her reverie.

Her lips curled upwards and she beamed with contentment, even if it was only for the night. "So do you," she returned, laughing with him.

_Inside and out_, she added silently.

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A/N: I hope you can handle continuous amounts of Stefan/Caroline fluff, because it is going to continue like this. There will be some small bits of angst, but I will keep it to a minimum because I want this to be about their wonderful friendship and all the good moments that transpire between them. Think of it as me skipping all the angsty parts.

Please, review? And let me know how this chapter is.

Another important thing: to make this a bit more fun and interactive, I'm happy to receive prompts from you readers. Either inbox me or mention it in your review! When I use it, I will credit the person accordingly.

Much love to all of you.


	3. Road Trip

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, they really do make my day – you guys are awesome. Thanks too for following this story and for all your feedback. To those of you who gave some suggestions as to what you want to see, thank you too! I've kept your ideas in mind and will utilise them in time to come.

For this chapter, "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab For Cutie is the song you need to listen to. I first heard the song in the film _Catch and Release_, and since then it has evoked a 'road trip' feeling in me; partly also because of its feel-good melody.

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**…**

**All The Reasons**

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'_Cause you're the only song I want to hear._

**.**

"We're going on a road trip," he announced suddenly one morning, almost immediately after she stepped into the Salvatore house. He had called her over, and she was there in a flash, as she always would. Sometimes she would go over to his place without him asking, and it was okay because they were that comfortable with each other; invitations really weren't necessary all the time. After all, their lack of other friends made it very easy for either person to just turn to the other for solace or advice.

Aside from the two obvious people missing from town – namely, Damon and Elena – their other friends had ultimately decided from being involved any further with any of their problems. Bonnie moved away from town and they understood that she had to leave. It was too much for her at some point, so Stefan and Caroline both encouraged her to go if she felt to. They sent Bonnie on her way – she was going to live with her cousins in another state, far away. She decided that although magic was great and powerful, it was ruining her life as long as she stayed in Mystic Falls and continued being involved with dark forces. It was difficult, mainly because she wanted to make sure Elena was okay; but Caroline promised that she would report to her about Elena from time to time.

Matt was still around, but he started going to university, moving on with his life. He still talked to them whenever they saw each other, but it was obvious that he preferred to have his own time with his new friends, working and studying. The Originals scattered. It was clear that they had nothing left to do with the people in town. Klaus was still bent on getting Elena back to normal, but it was as though he realised he'd rather live another million years being the most powerful being on earth rather than die trying to revive his race – so he left with Rebekah and all their possessions. Tyler never returned. Caroline had no idea if he was still alive or whether he wasn't. She had no way of finding out unless she left town and ventured into the world to ask around.

"It's a laugh, really," Caroline contemplated sadly one evening. "I can't believe we're the only ones still stuck in this town. Everyone else has bolted."

"Well, you're always free to leave – I mean, aside from your mom being around, you have free will to go and build your life somewhere else," Stefan reasoned.

"No, like you said, my mom's around. I'm not going to leave her – well not just yet," she said. "But _you_ can, Stefan."

He sighed. "And do what? Look for Damon and Elena?"

She winced. "Okay, well, I _wasn't _suggesting that, I promise. I'm sorry," she had said, still unable to believe that the two of them had gone for nearly three months and that time had passed so fast.

"No, it's not your fault," he responded quickly. "I know they're okay because Damon tells me. I suppose I'm still trying to move on. I don't know how you do it, with Tyler gone and everything."

She looked at him sincerely and honestly. He returned her gaze, waiting for her reply. She gave him a small smile, one that told him she believed in him, and that she always would. "I'm not always okay," she admitted. "I just don't always tell you." He exhaled and looked down, deep in thought, then looked back at her.

"But I'm fine because you're always here to remind me, Stefan," she breathed. Her words echoed loudly in his mind, and he committed it to memory.

They needed some time away. He felt his life was just days passing by without much significance. He knew that if she wasn't around, he'd probably be insane already. He really owed her so much. When he thought of that and how much she herself was probably trying to move on from Tyler, he realised that going on a trip somewhere was a good idea. They could go around asking for news about Damon, Elena and Tyler, but aside from that purpose, taking a time out was necessary. Stefan really wasn't that type of person to randomly decide to go somewhere, but if it was something that was called for, he would see the need and do it – and this, this was one of those cases.

She was quite surprised at his suggestion, of course. She really didn't expect it. Aside from the fact that he wasn't that kind of person, she didn't think he would be interested in a road trip with her. More intriguing to her was the reason why he wanted to leave town.

"A road trip?" she repeated. "We? Are going? Where? Why?"

Her questions tumbled out all at once, as he expected. He walked up to her, hands in his pockets. "I think we need some time out from this place," he answered truthfully. "We can go around asking for news about Tyler and Damon, Elena, whoever, but really I thought it would be good to just get away for a while. You need it and I need it."

He was serious, and she could see it on his face. He had given it sufficient thought, as he did everything in his life, and he was giving her a hopeful, selfless, considerate look. She nearly wanted to burst out laughing because she just couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He was being so nice and kind and thoughtful and she was so proud of him for deciding something that she herself had been thinking about.

Instead, she let out a short giggle. "Sorry!" she swiftly apologised. "I'm just– you know, uh," she stammered, trying to hide her smile.

"What's so funny?" he asked, eyebrows knit together. "I'm being serious, Caroline!"

"I know!" she said, her voice high-pitched. "It's just– are you sure, Stefan? It's just not like you to suggest something like this!"

"Are you trying to say I'm not capable of being spontaneous?" he asked, his eyes wide at her, his lips curling into a smile.

"No!" she immediately replied, her face lit up with delight. "Well, actually, it's true. You're not the lets-go-to-the-museum-at-night-and-imagine-all-the-exhibits-are-alive kind of guy."

"Nobody does that in the first place," Stefan said pointedly.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at him. "You know what I mean," she said, grinning.

"Okay, you've made your point. Can we just get back to the actual conversation?" he asked, smiling at her with his arms crossed.

"Yes, so we're going on a road trip," she continued. "Okay, so when are we leaving?"

"Now," he answered, carrying a small luggage bag in his right hand, walking closer to her.

"What?! But I'm not ready! I haven't packed," she said dramatically with hand motions. "And I need to tell my mom."

"I already told your mom," he said to her look of even greater confusion and surprise. "I just told her I would be out of town for some time, and that you were coming along."

"Really," she stated, her eyes still wide. "And she didn't say anything? She wasn't suspicious?"

"She knows we're just friends," he explained, shrugging. "Besides, she trusts me to take care of you."

She let out a snort at that. "Oh, you are _not_ going to be taking care of me," she insisted. "In fact, I'm the one taking care of _you_ most of the time."

He laughed. "Thanks for the subtlety there, Caroline," he said sarcastically. "You sure make things very easy for me."

She smiled at him. "You know, I hope I do," she said, changing the mood of their conversation. "But you're right. You do take care of me. And I'm thankful that you do."

He nodded easily, smiling back at her. They padded out of the Salvatore home and dropped by her place after that. He allowed her only 15 minutes to grab whatever she needed, but predictably she ended up taking triple the time. She stuffed her belongings at the back of his car along with his things. They didn't end up taking much, because they could always just make do with what they had and get whatever else they needed along the way. She, of course, ended up taking charge of the music the moment they left town, singing loudly at the top of her voice and egging him to sing along with her. The car was filled with her laughter and he caught himself stealing glances at her whenever she was humming along to a tune he didn't quite know.

"A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere…" she sung, her soothing, feminine voice enveloping the space between them. He would look at her and smile thoughtfully, thinking that he could never get tired of being around her, although he once thought he could.

Now, it was her or no one – and he realised, as he kept driving and bantering with her at the same time, that he would gladly pick her.

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A/N: Hopefully, the continuation of their trip will come in the next chapter. Also, if anyone still wants to give me prompts or suggestions, please do.

Review, please? Let me know how this chapter is.

Love you all heaps.


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